


Tony Stark: My Hero

by OnceUponAFez



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Abuse, Complete, One Shot, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-27 22:12:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16228325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceUponAFez/pseuds/OnceUponAFez
Summary: A perspective from one boy’s experience with Tony Stark and what it meant to him. Somewhat of a letter from him to you and why he feels that way.





	Tony Stark: My Hero

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw a comic and it inspired this thought about the one and only Tony Stark. I dunno if I got anything right but it was a 2am induced writing session and I think it’s something Tony would do. I'm unsure if I clicked the correct warning but it has some swearing and implies there has been violence against the character, just so you know. I haven't gone into graphic detail about it but I infer stuff. The POV is a made up character and non-super or enhanced. Here’s my drabble or oneshot, I don’t what to call it. Hope you enjoy.

_You may know him as the billionaire playboy. You may know him as the man in the suit. Or perhaps the only things you know of him are the tales spun inside our newspapers and on our television. I can’t say if those assumptions are true or not, I can’t make you change your mind if you truly believe he is the man of destruction and evil, who built an industry that helped prolong the war. But I know this from the moments I have spent with the man himself. Only a few minutes, but they are worth mentioning and they are what I have of Tony Stark. It was not as Iron Man that I met him, but as an unarmed and regular guy. Though of course there is nothing regular about a genius, he was as normal as could be on the day he helped me._

**************

Tony Stark is visiting our school today. TONY STARK! Yet I am late, again, for the only day that I have truly been looking forwards to. The day that I had a chance to see the man behind the suit. He’s giving a speech to the entire school about the importance of science and embracing what we and technology can do… just like he did in a cave all those years ago. But I’m late. It’s a regular occurrence but I try, I always do. Today was particularly difficult even if the excitement ran through my veins.

I pulled myself up and out of bed, my already frozen feet hitting the cold floorboards and sending a shiver down my spine. The freezing draft of outdoors hit my body and sent goosebumps trembling across my whole body. I got up as quickly as was possible, pulling off my vest and switching it with another then putting on a long sleeved jersey and jumper. My aching body might move quicker if I’m warmer. Though I don’t have any trousers… not any that fit me at least. The most I own are a pair of long shorts that reach halfway down my calves.

Reaching down, albeit with splitting pain in my rib cage, I grabbed my backpack and science book then was straight out the door. There was no point in breakfast, or trying to find some, I was already late.

Sometime later and I made it to school, everybody already inside and in their seats, no doubt with Mr Stark halfway through his presentation. I got to the steps and was running so fast I tripped over them and my own feet, crashing on them. The solid concrete collided with my knees and just about everywhere that already hurt, making me wince. I wanted to get up, desperately wanted to get up and inside to hear what Iron Man was telling everyone else, but I couldn’t move.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm, a soft yet deep voice asking if I was okay. My ears were still ringing from the night before so I didn’t register who it was until I turned my head. His lips moved again, “You okay Kid?”

I nodded, like I always did. “Yeah, I just fell.” But as my head lifted and my eyes focused on the hand dusting the dirt off my shoulder, I realised just who I was speaking to. Tony _fucking_ Stark. I couldn’t help it; my mouth fell open. But he didn’t take notice of my gawping, he simply replied, “Yeah I saw. You sure you’re alright?” He asked again and looked me up and down. This is most definitely where I regretted that I hadn’t got anything nicer to wear, not even a button down shirt.

I nodded, “I was just excited to get in to-to… see you.”

He smiled and the sound of a laugh left through his nose, “Everyone is.” And gave me a smile. _Wow. That’s what a smile looks like?_ “You like my stuff?” He asked so easily and confidently, pulling me from my thoughts.

I nodded a little too excitedly, “I’ve loved science since I saw you on Sesame Street when I was little. I tried recreating the experiment you did on the show but it didn’t go too well. So I tried until I got it right, turns out I just needed more water. Now I’m in trig and doing 10th grade chemistry!” I spilled to him so much in those few moments then suddenly remembered who he was and how trivial this all was, because I was blabbering about an experiment he probably doesn’t remember and science he has most definitely surpassed. I quickly stopped and felt my smile fall back to normal. _It had been a while since I used those muscles._

“That’s awesome-“ He answered, but not in some patronising way that most adults do, but it was genuinely happy and excited. He went to continue but was interrupted.

“Er, boss. We’re late.” A man in a black suit said.

Mr Stark quickly glanced at his watch, one I imagine was more expensive than my entire building complex, and nodded. “Oh. It’s okay, I’m just making sure my buddy gets inside alright.” And patted my back gently.  _I wonder if he noticed the jolt I made? Of course not, he wasn’t paying attention to me, he had more important things to do._

“Let’s, er, let’s go inside I guess.” Tony announced and we walked on in. That’s when he was shuffled off to the the stage through the back way and I was shoved into the hall to find a seat. Originally they didn’t want to let me sit in because I’d been late too many times but Tony freaking Stark said he shouldn’t do the presentation either then. Either we both go in or neither of us do. I won’t lie, I almost cried. Not the same crying as I’ve often done before, but from pride and loyalty that a man I’ve looked up to since I was 6 had got my back, even though he didn’t even know my name.

The presentation was elaborate and as magnificent as I’d imagined. Not because he was Iron Man, but because he talked to us in a way we could understand, making the most complicated of quantum physics sound as easy as cooking an egg… sure some people still didn’t get it but to me it was fluent English. He stayed longer than was scheduled, he said we deserved it since he turned up late anyway, and answered any questions kids wanted to throw at him. He answered questions about being Iron Man, being rich, being an Avengers, questions about the Avengers, and of course the ones he most lit up about – science. I didn’t get to ask a question, there were simply too many. But I had got to speak to him before we entered the auditorium, nobody else had.

We were all told to stay in our seats as Mr Stark left the building. I heard a lot of chatter about being disappointed but I was content in the fact _I_ had met him.

Eventually I made it to class, only to have a teacher pull me away and to visit the nurse’s office. I’d almost forgotten what I must have looked like since I ran from the apartment that morning, I hadn’t even looked in the mirror. Probably a sight for sore eyes though.

“Mr Stark mentioned you falling earlier today, wanted to know you were okay.” Mr Truman, the Principal, told me as we headed from my homeroom to the office I’d tried to avoid most of the year.

“I tripped on the steps.” I shrugged, my tone light.

“Well we’ll have you checked out anyway.”

My stomach turned over at that. I didn’t much want any hands on me, thanks. I’m much better left alone. Nevertheless, I was led inside as more a mandatory visit than a voluntary one since Tony Stark had mentioned it himself.

_Why did he want to know if I was alright?_

I answered my own question as I sat on the bed in Mrs Quinn’s office. A mirror opposite showed me exactly what I looked like today. Though it was nothing new to me, well perhaps the discolouring in my cheek had moved sides from where it was last week and the swelling on my ear had lessened, but mostly I was the same banged up kid I always was.

“So you tripped on the steps this morning?” She asked and waited patiently for my reply.

I nodded, “Yeah, I crashed pretty hard but I’m okay. Nothing to worry about.” I went to hop off the table but she stopped me.

“Where did you fall?” She asked and I went to point to my knee but hesitated. _Crap_. This high of meeting my hero had warranted a false sense of security.

“I thought it was rather obvious, I fell on my face.” I pointed to it and faked a laugh. Her gloved hands tentatively touched my bruised cheek and swollen lower eyelid. I winced at it since it was so fresh. Then she spotted another bruise, and another. They were on my legs. “I must have hit my legs as well.” I chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood. She didn’t share it.

“Luke.” She said in all seriousness but sweetened it to a gentle smile, “These bruises are not a few hours old.”

I gulped down the nervousness, my hands squeezing each other. “I-“ But she cut me off.

“This isn’t the first time either, is it?” Her eyes searched mine, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, or to nod or shake my head. I was frozen.

“Can I go back to class now?” I asked quietly.

“Not just yet.” She turned and wrote a few notes. “Do you think you could take your sweater and shirt off for me?”

There it was again. The pit in my stomach. “W-why?”

“You don’t have to; I won’t make you. I just want to check you’re not hurt anywhere else-“

“I’m not.” I said abruptly, but perhaps my hand crossing over the right side of my torso clued her in. _Dammit_.

“If somebody is hurting you, you can tell me, or anyone at school. We can help.” She encouraged and I could sense the rope getting shorter, the noose tightening around my neck.

“Nobody’s hurting me. I wanna leave now.” I demanded and got up. My joints ached as I thudded to the floor, my knees almost buckling under the weight of me… though there wasn’t exactly any weight there.

Before she could stop me, I was out the door and turning the corner. As it happened, the nurse’s office was designated right by the main office and so I had to hurry past the Principal’s office too. Just as my head whipped around to walk out, Tony Stark and his bodyguard walked from Mr Truman’s office… almost bumping into me.

_He… he was still here?_

“Oh. Hey. Kid.” Tony wasn’t sure where he was going with the sentence but it came out anyway.

“Luke, is Mrs Quinn all finished?” Mr Truman asked but the woman herself sped out her office right after me to notice all of us.

“I-I’m fine.” I stated, rather unconvincingly as it turned out as every adult frowned. _Why was nobody believing me? They never cared before._

“Uh… Mr Truman, was it? Uh, yeah, do you think we could use your office for a minute? L-Luke did I hear someone say?” Truman nodded then so did I as he got my name correct. “Nice name that, I had a friend from college called Luke, built like a brick-um-he was strong.” The man rambled slightly but I noticed now that I was sitting alone in my Principal’s office with Iron Man himself… well an unarmoured version.

He gestured for me to take a seat, so I did, as he spun a chair around and sat on it. “Listen, I’m no medical expert, actually I took a course in it once and read all the books so technically I kinda am, but that besides the point. Kid, I can see you’re hurting. And that’s not the kind of pain you get from yourself, someone had to do it. Who was it?”

“No-“ body was going to be the end of my word but he’d stopped me before I could get it out.

“ _Luke_.” He told me in the most seriousness I’ve ever seen or heard in him, not even on TV. Then his features lightened and tone softened. “I’m not here as Iron Man, I’m just Tony Stark, and I met this kid that looks like he could use some help, so I’m offering it in whatever form he needs it. You need me to scare some bullies? Done. Something more serious? Then I’ll see to it. But I don’t think I can leave here until I know the kid I met, that clearly loves science as much as I do, is okay. You hear me?”

I was stunned, taken aback, shocked… all the words you could describe for utter surprise because here was Tony Stark offering to help me and the hellhole that is my life.

We sat there a while, for what seemed forever actually, but he didn’t leave, didn’t hurry me. He stayed. Then I could feel the hot burn and sting as tears reached my eyes.

“Is someone hurting you?” Tony asked again. This time, I nodded as I let the tears fall silently. “Who?”

My breath hitched and I couldn’t speak, but the face was seared into the forefront of my brain. I could see him and his fist balled up tightly. He was drumming his fist into my face and yelling obscenities at me.

I took another breath then finally told him. “My-my dad. It’s my fault, I didn’t-“

But Tony cut me off, gulping down a piece of rage. “No. There is never a reason. _Ever_. This.” He gestured my face, “Isn’t your fault.”

I’m not sure why it had taken a visitor to tell me this, and most of me didn’t even believe him… but I wanted to.

He stayed beside me as my tears continued to fall and even called in his bodyguard, Happy, to cheer me up. For a name like Happy, he sure wasn’t. Yet the bickering of the friends made me laugh… made me feel more like a kid than I ever have been. Tony Stark had managed singlehandedly, in a day, to spot I was hurting and identify it then make sure I got help. He even gave me his card and a phone number in case I or anyone else needed a helping hand.

That night, for the first in a long time, I slept easy. Because I have Tony Stark looking out for me.

**************

_You may not have reached this part, but I wanted to tell you of my experience and how the man you may believe is cold hearted and selfish, has more compassion and heart than anyone I’ve ever met. Tony Stark is the reason I am alive today. He is the reason I loved what I loved before he became a superhero, before the world took notice of the man in the iron suit. Tony Stark is more than iron, more than a billionaire, more than a playboy. He is a superhero. Not because he’s an Avenger or protects the world, but because he decided to help when nobody else did. I admire Iron Man, but Tony Stark is my hero._


End file.
